19ES250

so i have been working on my paint for a while now, i have been rubbing and polishing it for quite some time now but not getting th results i want. Is it the paint or is it my technique. I would like a really really deep mirror like finish. i don't really want to purchase a PC i like to do things by hand. I have and old orbital that i don't use very often but i do have one. here are some products i have been using:

macguairs Mirror glaze #2
Zymol: cut cleaner was
NXT wax: paste
macguiars Paint cleaner
macguairs gold class wax
Mothers clay bar
Mothers pure carnauba
macguiars deep crystal paint cleaner








I will take a better head on photo tomorrow, don't know why that one is bluish??

What do i do or is that all the paint can do??

MShybrid

You may have taken things as far as possible by hand. The PC or UDM with the proper pad and polish can definately add the depth you are looking for. If your paint has a lot of flake in it....and I think it does...try come DP Maxwax. It really makes the flakes pop.
You are definately heading in the right direction. It looks good.

jfelbab

I's suggest a better polish. Perhaps Meg's #80. You can do the job with ScratchX but polishing paint by hand is a real chore. You might want to try doing a body panel a day if you do it by hand.

19ES250

Should that be my last step??


i do have lots of flake, i thought maybe that is why i can't get the mirror like finish i am looking for, where can i get this DP maxwax ?? what is a UDM ??

thanks to both of you, you are awesome

MShybrid

The UDM is short for the "Ultimate Detailing Machine" It is kinda like a Porter Cable 7424 on steroids. I would suggest going to www.autogeek.net and brouse around the site. They offer a very good selection of polishes, sealants, waxes, and just about any item needed to detail your car.
When detailing the Lexus, I used Optimun polish on an orange Lake country pad followed up with OP on a white pad. The car was then treated with the Klasse twins (AIO cleaner and sealant) Topping that off is 2 coats of DP Maxwax. I ws very pleased with the results.

jfelbab

The steps are wash, clay, polish, (optionally glaze) and wax in that order.

•Wash to remove loose dirt, dust and grit.
•Clay to remove stubborn bonded contaminants
•Polish to remove swirls and light scratches and bring the surface to a smooth mirror like finish
•Glaze to give the surface that wet paint look
•Wax to seal the surface and protect the paint from new contaminants

The steps prior to the wax are what produce most of the shine. Wax only plays a small roll in the picture. I'd suggest 10-20%. The steps prior to the wax are are also responsible for a good deal of the protection and durability of your wax as well.

19ES250

Ok i will definitely look into those products

Did you do any preping or just the polish and the MaxWax ??

I washed like a mad man, took about an hour
I clayed the entire car
Used Mags fine cut #2
Used Mags Paint cleaner
Used Zymol Paint and swirl remover
Used NXT wax two coats

that is the order i did it in and those were the results i got, Is there a step i am missing ???

thanks


Thanks to all for you help

jfelbab

I'd try replacing the Meg's #2 with Meg's #80 or ScratchX. If you use a polish you don't need the Meg's paint cleaner nor the Zymol paint cleaner and swirl remover.

Use the polish in a small 2' x 2' section at a time. Stay in the first area until you see the result you want. It might require several passes. If you can get the small section to shine the way you want it to then you know what you need to do to the rest of the paint.

If you can buy or borrow a PC for this polishing step you make the process ten times faster and spare yourself aching arms. I recently saw a thread in this forum that some place was selling a Porter-Cable for $99. This is a very good investment as these things last for years. My PC is over 12 years old and still going strong. You will also find that it is nearly impossible to achieve the same results by hand.

After the polishing step you might want to try using a glaze. Meguiar's #7 (Show Car Glaze) or #81 (Professional Hand Glaze) are two that I use. A glaze will make your paint look like it is stilll wet from the paint booth. Glazes evaporate rather quickly though so you need to seal them with a wax or sealant right after applying. Glazes are rather oily and fill slight scratches and swirls to make them invisible. This gives your paint a better reflection, hence a shinier surface. Glazes will fade over a months time though so you will need to reapply them and reseal them to maintain the dripping wet look. You can apply a glaze over a wax or sealant as they won't remove the wax. Just remember to rewax or seal after application.

Here is what a glaze can do. This is the fender of a 17 year old red MR2.


And here is what a glaze looks like on a black Toyota Highlander.


The two vehicle above were;
1. Washed with Meguiars NXT Wash
2 Clayed with Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit
2. Polished with Meguiar's #80 via a Porter-Cable 7424
3. Glazed with Meguiar's #7 (red MR2) and #81 (black Highlander)
4. Waxed with Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax (two coats 24 hours apart)

This is the look I'm after. I want people to look at my cars and think they will get wet paint on their hands if they touch it.

expansive

jfelbab im not sure if you are still active on the CL, but your post was very informative. I've done extensive research on CL about detailing but coming across yours was extra helpful.

Thank you sir

jfelbab

Happy to hear the info was useful.

To update the info in that post... I would now recommend Meguiar's #205/#105 pair as the polishes. Start with the #205 first and if you are not getting the results you need step up to the more aggressive #105. On darker colors you will likely need to finish with #205. If you are going to use OTC products, Meguiar's ScratchX and Ultimate Compound come close to what the #205/#105 will deliver.

All of these product can be used by hand, DA polisher or rotary polisher.

kentaro

iTrader: (5)

Wow that red MR2 is just amazing!!
Do you have any recomendations for white pearl paints?

jfelbab

Same suggestions as for all colors. Wash, clay, polish, protect, maintain.

Repeat as needed.

Badmittn

There is a such thing as overkill.
There is only so much rubbing and buffing acrylic paint can take before it begins to breaks down.
Most people are telling you to do more of the same.
Wax is wax they all will dull yellow and have to be removed.
Klasse products are one of the worst brands to try to get a shine out of.
A lot of work and marginal results
Try something different
There is something for acrylic paint that is superior to any wax.
Acrylic paint conditioner

eyezack87

iTrader: (4)

^Shall I, or the other real detailers point out a few things about your site? The mis-information on there is just as bad as dealers saying that consumers never have to wax a car. I hope no one here is gullible enough to try that product out

varcity64

iTrader: (2)

im no real detailer, but i do know more than the avg person. but the site doesnt work for me i wish it did just so i knew what it was he was selling